Space conditioner



Nov. 9, 1937. 1.. w. CHILD SFACE CONDITIONER Original Filed June 8, 1934.

v INVENTOR. LACHLAN IV CH/LD BY ATTORNEGY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 I SPACE CONDITIONER 'Lachlan W. Child, South Bend, Ind., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Air Devices Corporation, Chicago, Ill.-, a corporation of Delaware Original application June 8, 1934, Serial No. 729,544. Divided and this application May 22,

1936, Serial No. 81,230

3 Claims. 257-1) This invention relates to space conditioners and more particularly to units of the ceiling suspended type for tempering air in a space and for distributing light thereto.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro vide a space conditioner including air tempering means and a light source in which the air tempered by the unit is maintained separate from the light source. According to one arrangement the above and other objects may be carried out by providing a ceiling suspended unit including a heat transfer element and a fan having a deflector around the fan to deflect air therefrom upwardly and outwardly into the space to be 15 conditioned. The deflector preferably carries a light source such as an electric lamp which is arranged on the opposite surface of the deflector from that over which air from the fan passes.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view with parts in section of a conditioning unit embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the conditioner of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an installation of the unit in a room to be conditioned.

The unit illustrated on the drawing is constituted by a bracket 5 suspended from the ceiling' of a room or like space by means of suitable hangers 6' and having downwardly projecting legs 1 and supporting an annular casing 8. A second annular casing 9 is carried by the bracket concentrically with the casing 8, and a heat transfer element ii, formed by a plurality of turns of finned tubing, is arranged in the annular space between the casings 8 and 9. Preferably the legs I of the supporting bracket are hollow and serve to conduct a heat transfer fluid, such for example as cold water, cold brine, or other refrigerant, to andfrom the element H from suitable supply conduits i2 which extend through the ceiling to a refrigerating unitof any desired 45 ime.

A motor i3 is secured to the bracket 5 centrally thereof and drives a fan i l of the type having a plurality of radial blades i5 arranged around a central, open air-inlet. The bracket 50 further supports an annular condensate cooling trough i6 which underlies the heat transfer element ii to receive condensate therefrom. Preferably condensate is removed from the trough i6 by means which, when circulating cold water is used as a refrigerating medium, may be an injector pump I! connected in the refrigerant discharge line and having its inlet controlled by a float l8 in the trough Hi. When refrigerant or other heat transfer medium is being circulated through the element II, the injector or its equivalent will operate to remove condensate from the trough i6, the float valve [8 insuring that the injector inlet will remain closed when there is no condensate in the trough to prevent induction of air into the system.

An annular deflector 2| is preferably secured to the Supporting bracket'with its radially inward edge just below the fan outlet and with its outward edge extending upwardly to direct air discharged by the fan upwardly and outwardly of the unit. The deflector serves as a support and as a reflector for one or more light sources such as electric lamps 22 which are mounted on the lower surface thereof to dispense light downwardly into the room.

A generally bowl-shaped casing 23 encloses all of the elements so far described and has its open top spaced from the ceiling to provide an annular air outlet all around the unit. The casing is formed in its bottom with an air inlet opening covered by a grille 24 and preferably has a sec-' ond annular air inlet opening adjacent its lower portion covered by a suitable grille 25. At its outer edge the casing is formed with a series of openings underlying the electric lamps 22 and which may, if desired, be covered by suitable light diffusing disks 26 such as frosted glass or the like. 21 may be secured to the lower portion of the casing below the disks 26 to obtain a further diffusion of the light.

With the unit installed on the ceiling of a room, as indicated in Figure 3, air will be drawn upwardly in the center of the room by operation of the fan i4 and due to the natural tendency of air becoming heated in the room to rise, and will enter the unit through the grilles 24 and 25.

The fan it will cause such air to pass over the heat transfer element Ii where the air will be cooled and any excess water carried thereby will be condensed, the condensate dropping into the trough l6 and being removed with the refrigerating medium by means of the injector H. The air thus cooled will be drawn into the fan and forced radially outward in all directions to flow along the ceiling and to pass downwardly into the room as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3. This action will create a very gentle motion of air through the room without subjecting any of the occupants of the room to a draft, while at the If desired, a further light diffusing disk same time maintaining the air therein in a comfortable condition. The lamps 22 are preferably controlled independently or the motor I! so that the air in the room may be conditioned without distributing light thereto, or, if desired, the lamps 22 can be lighted to supply light to the room through the diiifusing disks 28 and 21.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent that changes might be made therein and it is not intended to be limited to the exact form shown or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

This application is a division 01' my copending application Serial No. 729,544, flied June 8, 1934.

What is claimed is:

1. A space conditioner comprising a casing having an air inlet opening in its lower portion and an open top, heat transfer means in the casing, a fan in the casing tocircuiate air from the space therethrough, an annular air deflector mounted in the casing adjacent the top thereof with its radially inward edge below the fan outlet, and a light source between said deflector and the casing for distributing light to the space.

2. A space conditioner comprising a casing having an air inlet opening in its lower portion and an open top, heat transfer means in the casing, a. tan in the casing to draw air from the space upwardly through said inlet opening and to discharge it radially outwardly through the open casing top, an annular air deflector sur-' rounding the fan outlet and extending to the upper edge 01' the casing, and a light source carried by said deflector and lying in the space between the deflector and the casing to distribute.

light to the space.

3. A space conditioner comprising a ceiling suspended bracket, a heat transfer element and a ran carried by the bracket, said tan operating to draw air upwardly through said element and to discharge it radially outwardly in all directions, an annular deflector surrounding the Ian outlet to direct the discharged air upwardly and outwardly, a plurality oi light sources carried by said deflector on the lower side thereof, and an open-topped substantially bowl-shaped casing carried by said bracket and enclosing all of the aforementioned elemen LAOBLAN W. CHILD. 

